In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

87 OntheNewYorkStage  B y 1849, a children’s book based on Charles Stratton’s life had already appeared in America, and claimed that Tom Thumb had retired from public life to “pursue the plan of education which had been marked out for him . . . whether he intends to shine upon us by-­ and-­ by as a lawyer , a physician, or a politician we are not informed.”1 But in reality those particular options were not as open to him as they may have been for children reading the book. He did have the money now to do what he liked, but he was still considered under his parents’ protection, at only eleven years old. Of course, his size limited his possible ambitions as well. Nevertheless, at least some options were now available. What were his talents? What did he want to do with his life now? The same book pointed out the exploitative nature of the constant touring. “Our little readers may think it very strange that any body should travel over the world and be exhibited for money. So it is; and we cannot help thinking this is the most unfortunate part of the little man’s history.” The book is sure to go on to say that his parents took good care of him, and prevented him from being “spoiled by flattery, or corrupted by bad example.”2 That must have been a difficult task; he was now one of the most renowned citizens in America, and by far the most celebrated teenager. By this time a number of songs had been written about and for him, including “General Tom Thumb’s Farewell to England,” “General Tom Thumb’s Song,” “Lines of Tom Thumb” (by a lady admirer), and more. One droll jingle reads, “Adieu dear General Tom Thumb, You funny little elf, And may your short existence here, Be longer than yourself.”3 Rumors of his marriage appeared in the American papers, as they had in Europe. While in Boston in 1847, he was reported by the Boston Transcript as having “wooed a little maid,” who agreed to “wed, wed, wed.” They reported that she was sixteen years old, thirty inches high, and nineteen pounds. A few years later he was again the sub- b e c o m i n g t o m t h u m b 88 ject of marriage gossip, over a certain “Miss Vinton,” rumors which reached as far as England.4 But as the Brooklyn Eagle reported dejectedly , “Tom Thumb is not to be married. Miss Vinton has only been appointed to attend to his wardrobe.”5 All this was just the usual gossip for any celebrity, though perhaps intensified by the thought of Charles’s unusual size. His fame had become so great that copycats became an even bigger problem than they had in England. When Charles appeared in Easton, Pennsylvania at the Odd Fellows Hall, the newspaper cautioned that “Some half dozen different dwarfs are strolling about the country, and imposing upon the public by falsely representing themselves as the ‘General Tom Thumb’ who has been so popular in Europe during the last four years.The real name of the genuine Tom Thumb is Charles S. Stratton. He was born in Bridgeport, Conn. The general is attended in his travels by his father and mother, a pianist, preceptor-­ groom, coachman, footman, etc. making in all a retinue of eleven persons .”6 The vast, separated landscapes of the United States proved fertile ground for these touring copycats, like David Armstrong, the “Australian General Tom Thumb,” who used Charles’s time abroad to make a name for himself in America. However, there was one rival that might have stung more than the others. “Major Littlefinger” was Charles’s brief replacement at the American Museum in the fall of 1848. And though critics noted that “Littlefinger was well enough; but there was only one Tom Thumb,” and Charles returned to the museum stage in late November, the difference here was that Charles’s mentor was the person trying to replace him. Barnum “unkindly” distributed advertisements that proclaimed “Tom Thumb in the Shade” trying to drum up support for Littlefinger.7 Of course, this was just business, but the ten-­ year-­ old Charles might have felt confused and slighted, and no doubt Sherwood and Cynthia were furious. But this new protégé did not “draw” like Charles had. Barnum should have remembered his own words, when he said: “There are no more Tom...

Share